The democratic republic of Nicaragua (literally translated as ”Surrounded by Water”) is the largest country in Central America. Nicaragua is bordered by Costa Rica to the South and Honduras to the North. It’s proximity to Costa Rica has encouraged tourism between the two countries. To the west of the country, Nicaragua’s coastline meets the Pacific Ocean, while on the eastern coast the Caribbean Sea meets is shores.

There are three distinct regions in Nicaragua: the Atlantic Lowlands, the North-Central Highlands and the Pacific Lowlands each possessing a unique climate and geography. Nicaragua’s capital and its largest city is Managua, located just north of Lake Nicaragua.

The national currency is the Cordoba, worth approximately 21.45 to every $1 US dollar. A 1L bottle of water in any local store would cost approximately 10 Cordobas or 0.50 cents per bottle. Food is very inexpensive as well with an average plate for lunch running about $2-4 US.

Nicaragua offers a number of cultural activities, ranging from theatre to religious sites. There are many historical buildings and attractions to see such as the Cathedral of Leon, the Church of Jaleva and Parque Central in Granada, and the colourful markets of Masaya. For nature enthusiasts, Nicaragua offers 78 national parks, including sanctuaries, refuges, and reserves, each teaming with unique wildlife and flora not seen outside of Central America. Some of the more popular National Parks include the Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge, Mombacho Cloud Forest Reserve, and Indio-Maíz Biological Reserve.

For outdoor enthusiasts, sport fishing, golf, canopy tours, scuba diving, and boating offer exciting activities and memorable experiences. Deep sea fishing in Nicaragua is considered to be the best in Central America where the sparkling Pacific Ocean offers exceptional opportunities to catch Marlin. Fishermen can fly fish in places like Lake Nicaragua and or hire a boat at Bluefields and try their hand at catching Bonito and Sierra Mackerel. Golfers can enjoy their favorite pastime at Nicaragua’s famous Nejapa Golf and Country Club or the Iguana Golf and Beach Club. A number of establishments, such as the Selva Negra Resort, offer horses for rent, while equestrian centers in Rancho Santa and Montecristo offer guided horseback tours through spectacular countryside and rain forests. Nicaragua’s fastest growing sport is surfing. If your surfing travel plans have you considering Central America (Panama, or Costa Rica) You may want to stop and consider coming here instead. With amazing breaks and relatively untouched beaches, Nicaragua may not be the most popular surf destination in Central America, but it’s without a doubt the best!

Assist in a Rural Elementary School

4 weeks from $1145USD

Volunteer at a Rural Elementary School in Granada

Located on the outskirts of the beautiful colonial town of Granada, Nicaragua, this opportunity gives the volunteer a chance to work with children one on one, not only in the school, but within its community as a whole. As a volunteer you will assist in a kindergarten class, tutor children in the early grades with their reading, writing or math, and teach classes such as; sports or arts & crafts as a group. The children in the lower grades all go to school in the mornings, children in the higher grades vary from school to school. In addition to these school hours, volunteers will spend two hours or so most afternoons tutoring children in their homes in the community, playing and coaching children’s team sports, taking children from ‘your’ school to the doctor or dentist office, etc. Each school we work with has a group of volunteers; you would work in that one community for the duration of your stay.

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